The 960-tonne decommissioned pumping station on the North Point waterfront will be turned into an artificial reef in Outer Port Shelter, Sai Kung. Director of Water Supplies Chan Chi-chiu said the move will recycle resources.

"We hope this project could inspire the local construction industry to give more thought to creating a win-win situation in economising measures and environmental protection," he told the audience at the project's launch ceremony today.

Resource recycling: Director of Water Supplies Chan Chi-chiu says the decommissioned pumping station in North Point will become an artificial reef.

Built in 1965, the pumping station had been supplying salt flush water to North Point and Quarry Bay until its decommissioning in 1994, when its role in meeting the increasing population demand in the area was taken over by the new Quarry Bay Salt Water Pumping Station.

Today saw the pumping station detached from the seabed and towed away from the waterfront. With only inert materials remaining and additional openings cored to facilitate water circulation, it will be moved to Sai Kung and submerged into a gazetted artificial reef deployment site in the next two days, creating a good habitat for marine life.

The demolition works and marine operation cost about $8 million.